Cradle of Love:True Grit
by SuchaCarelessWhisper
Summary: RxR: Another Oneshot of Mattie Ross/Laboeuf:D ENJOY!


_**Is this what love really feels like?**_

::

Mattie let out a silent groan when forced to the mattress below her. The springs grinding harshly against her back, with fringy felt gloved fingers digging into each arm of hers, close to the balls of her shoulders.

Her eyebrows twitched, and her eyes sparkled.

She swallowed, before a felt gloved hand made it up strongly around her neck, but not tight enough to strangle, with one thumb pressed against her jawline to the left side, and four left over fingers against the length of her scrawny neck.

**XXX**

"Don't be scared."

the handsome Ranger assured her, in a sweet, calming tone of voice, and she had nodded in agreement, placing one of her own hands against his, letting her fingers gently trace along the fringe of his glove.

Mr. Laboeuf moved his hand, and poked at the vein, pulsing out of her neck, with the other grabbing on securely to the back of her pretty little head.

Mattie let her eyes wonder around, while the Ranger sat atop her, using less of his normal weight, in worry he could crush her.

**.**

**.**

The young girl breathed in the hot air slowly, then exhaled it all again, removing one hand from a random side, and brought it up carefully, without much force, placing her palm against his hard, yet soft clothed chest.

Laboeuf stared her deeply in the eyes, and so had she.

The closeness, and quietness caused her to blush red and turn her head instantly to the side. The Ranger cocked his own head slightly, and used a hand to bring her head back, with her big brown eyes locked tight and securely by his blues.

"This seems terribly wrong, Mr. Labo-boeuf."the girl beneath him struggled, and brushed against him, while attempting to make a break for it, but only once had he held her down with such force, to kept her still. He inhaled more strongly than he had before, and used two fingers to brush away the sticky strands of brown hair from her eyes. Mattie felt a bit uncomfortable and tense by his unknown actions, but knowing that she was cared for, she knew it was safe.

"You ain't gotta' worry, Ms. Ross. I'm a Texas Ranger, and I won't let a thing hurt you."he smirked behind that mustache, before leaning in slow, and found his lips so close to hers, with just a mere, small quiver, they'd be truely touching.

**XX**

Mattie just couldn't believe what she was doing.

Her heart was racing faster than it ever has before, and her mind was a scrambled mess. She didn't have a clue what to do, but tried to understand everything Laboeuf did to her.

**::**

The space between them was fairly quickly becoming over ridden by the meeting of their bodies. It gave Laboeuf a strange feeling in his gut, and he soon found himself stopping, with the musky smelling, hot, sweating air around them enclosing them closely together, but also so far apart.

Laboeuf was dripping soon enough that he had used each arm to hoist himself up from the young one beneath him, and his rear sitting on the left side of the bed, back toward the window, that was the source of the hot summer air.

Mattie, whom remained flat on the bed, slowly rose high on her elbows, and licked her drying lips.

**XX**

She could tell just by the backside of Mr. Laboeuf that he wasn't too happy with his intimate actions toward her, and before jerking to her knees, Laboeuf dropped to his feet, spurs crying out loud.

He didn't even bother to take a turn-around, as he retrieved his hat from the chair, and put it back on.

"I must depar-!"he was cut off so suddenly, when being grabbed fairly hard with wrapped arms around his waist as he brought his eyes down.

**XX**

He brushed a finger over one bushed brow, before attempting to free the young one from him. But it was no use. She was wrapped tightly, and he was soon pulled toward the bed, with her rosey cheek pressed against him.

"Don't leave Mr. Laboeuf."she begged him softly, the arms around him becoming tighter.

Laboeuf knew it wasn't right, but it wasn't right to ignore the little one.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Ross, I am a busy man."he reassured her, grabbing loosely to both her hands and removed them, each at once. He didn't want to leave her like this, but had no choice.

He turned around after getting her free, staring at her on her knees above the bed. He swallowed, removing his hat, and slowly leaning forward, where Mattie had turned a deep red, having a thought as to what could happen. "You think I would let a man such as yer' self steal a kiss from me?"Mattie smiled, with words that completely blown Laboeuf away. 

He stepped back, with a plain expression.

"I believe you would, Ms. Ross."he acknowledged, stroking his chin, before dropping his hat limp on the chair at the foot of the bed.

The young girl snickered behind a hand, right as she crawled back into the covers, wrapping it loosely, staring, exhausted, at the cowboy before her.

They continued to stare.

**::**

"Don't you need to be somewhere, Mr. Laboeuf?"the girl added, before the man even thought about stepping a boot forward.

He didn't respond right after that.

**XXX**

**XXX**

Laboeuf swallowed hard, and nodded his head.

"Yes, Ms. Ross, I must leave before long."he wipped a sweat from his forehead, and turned 'round, moving toward the door, where his hand grasped the rusted knob. But something had stopped him.

Mattie cocked her head, and swung her legs free of the quilts, dropping each foot to the cold floorboards below, her hands in her lap.

"What is it, Mr. Laboeuf?"she smiled as so, and stood up tall, to the soles of her feet, walking, until she was met right behind him, when he made a swift turn around.

He didn't make a sound. Neither had she.

She could tell she was making him nervious, watching him swallow for the third time already, and took that felt hat from his head, dropping it at his side, in a clutched hand. "Nothing, Ms. Ross."he spoke, breath full of hot air that escaped, reaching her face, that seemed as hot as his breath.

Mattie snickered unwillingly cute, catching more of Laboeuf's attention that she could handle. Then he broke the silence, eyes darting right upon hers.

"Yer' so young, Ms. Ross."he smiled half-heartedly, more of a grin than a smile, as he reached out to touch her face. She looked at his hand and grabbed it. "Your so...so old, Mr. Laboeuf."Mattie tried so hard not to let it come out like that, but it did, and there was no taking it back.

He raised a single brow high, forcing his hand away. "What's that 'pose to mean, Ms. Ross?"he was a bit frustrated with her few words, but it caused him to smile back at her, watching her lips curve into a soft smile.

She refused to say a word.

"You know what I am tryin' to say, Mr. Laboeuf, don't be such a foolish m-man."she quivered slightly at the end, eyes downcast, hoping it didn't hurt him as much as she thought it could.

Both were lost for words afterwards.

He moved a little, and so had she.

**XX**

"Foolish?"he repeated in a sort of frustrated tone of voice, letting the hat fall out of his grasp, and returned to her with strong fingers pinched deep into each arm, after removing them from around his bandoiler.

She swallowed warm saliva deep in her throat, hurting a bit as if went down, staring him hard in the face.

But she was strong, and stood up to him.

"Yes, foolish, Mr. Laboeuf. Your a foolish man."she was terribly close, nose up high, eyes sparkling in his blues that had a tight hold of her, nostrils flaring.

She didn't understand what had come over her that moment. She felt terrible about it, and had caused such a caring man to leave, heart filled with pain, and eyes slightly stinging with fresh, warm tears, that hadn't fallen yet.

The thought of it all brought a chill to her body, and cringed her nose hard, after shutting her eyes, and falling down upon her knees, so strongly holding back tears.


End file.
